Fever in some children can be followed by seizures. This condition is known as a febrile seizure. When faced with it, Mother is advised to be alert but remain calm. Therefore, you need to know the first aid steps for your little one who has a febrile seizure.
Febrile seizures are the most common cause of seizures in children. This condition can affect children ages 3 months to 5 years, although children ages 1 to 1.5 years are more common. The cause of a child's body spasms during a fever is not known for certain, but this is known to be related to the increase in body temperature that is too fast and the child's body's ability to adapt to an increase in body temperature.
Conditions of Children Having Fever Seizures
Before learning how to help your little one, you need to know how to determine if your little one has a febrile seizure or not. A number of the following symptoms can help you recognize a febrile seizure in your little one:
- Body temperature rises to more than 38°.
- The whole body, especially the legs and arms, appears to be shaking, stiff, or jerking uncontrollably.
- Your little one moans, bites his tongue hard, or urinates suddenly, and his eyeballs roll upwards.
- Your little one does not respond to Mother, for example, does not answer when invited to play or talk.
- Your child faints or loses consciousness after a seizure.
First Aid Steps When Children Have Fever Seizures
When you see your little one having a febrile seizure, you are advised not to panic. Mother is expected to remain calm, in order to be able to provide first aid properly.
Here are some steps to help a child with a febrile seizure:
- Place the child on a flat place.
- The place should be spacious and free, so that the child will not be hit or hit by certain objects during a seizure.
- Position the child to sleep on his side, to prevent him from choking during a seizure.
- Loosen the clothes, especially around the neck.
- Do not force to restrain the movement of the child's body. Just keep the position of his body remains safe.
- Do not put anything in his mouth, including drinks or drugs.
- Say soothing words to make your child feel more comfortable.
- Record how long the child has had a seizure.
- Observe her condition during the seizure, especially if she has difficulty breathing or her face becomes pale and bluish. This indicates that he is deprived of oxygen and requires immediate medical attention.
- If possible, record events when the child is having a seizure, so the doctor can know for sure what kind of seizure the child is experiencing.
Febrile seizures generally last 1-2 minutes. After that, the child may become more fussy and confused for several hours, before he is exhausted and finally falls asleep.
Fever Seizure Conditions Requiring Emergency Treatment
After giving first aid, you still need to take your little one to the doctor even though the seizures have stopped. This is important to do, so that the doctor can examine the condition of the Little One and find out the cause of the seizures he is experiencing.
You even need to immediately take your little one to the doctor or call an ambulance if he experiences:
- Seizures for more than 5 minutes.
- Seizures only in some parts of the body, not all.
- Difficulty breathing and a bluish tinge to the face or lips.
- Seizures recur within 24 hours.
Most febrile seizures in children are harmless and are not a sign of epilepsy or brain damage. Febrile seizures also do not cause children to experience decreased learning abilities or mental disorders.
However, you still need to be vigilant. In rare cases, fever followed by seizures can be a sign of meningitis or other serious disorder.
When your little one has a seizure, you need to provide first aid for a febrile seizure appropriately. Therefore, try to remain calm. If your child has a febrile seizure that requires emergency help, take him to the doctor immediately for treatment.